Last night, I caught Kimberley Locke's concert at the Tulare County Fair. If you don't know, Tulare County is a farming region located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The fairgrounds is home of the World Ag Expo, so the smell of money was in the air last night, if you catch my drift. Not a lot of my gals come to this area, so when they do, I really make an effort to support them.
I've been a fan of K-Lo's since season 2 of American Idol (Clay who?) and was really rooting for her to win. Earlier this summer, I finally got to see her perform at LA's gay pride festival. Dance mixes of her songs have been big club hits, and Kimberley didn't disappoint. She belted out many of these versions, encouraging the audience to sing along. She playfully chided, "You missed your chorus, bitches!" when we got a bit distracted by her well-sculpted dancers!
Last night's show was a bit different. In lieu of dance tracks, she sang with a talented live band comprised of many of her long-time friends. Until the end, most of the audience stayed seated, but Kimberley took it in stride. "I'm used to people standing up, dancing around, being silly. You guys are really good listeners, aren't you?" Having been part of the fun crowd she described, I had to laugh at her observation.
Locke looked sexy in a long-sleeved black top and black hot shorts and sporting a sassy new short haircut. She pleased the crowd with her incredible voice and witty banter. She even dealt with an overzealous (or just drunk) fan, cleverly acknowledging him and putting him in his place at the same time. My only complaint was that she didn't sing "Band Of Gold," one of my favorite tunes.
After the show, she graciously signed autographs. She was very sweet and appreciative when I said I'd seen her at LA Pride. I wanted to try to meet her after that show, but I was stuck in audience gridlocke (sorry, I can't help myself!) waiting for Olivia Newton-John's performance. I told Kimberley last night, "We were hoping you'd have your dancers with you, but I don't think Tulare's ready for that!" She agreed. After all, you do have to know your audience.
I've been a fan of K-Lo's since season 2 of American Idol (Clay who?) and was really rooting for her to win. Earlier this summer, I finally got to see her perform at LA's gay pride festival. Dance mixes of her songs have been big club hits, and Kimberley didn't disappoint. She belted out many of these versions, encouraging the audience to sing along. She playfully chided, "You missed your chorus, bitches!" when we got a bit distracted by her well-sculpted dancers!
Last night's show was a bit different. In lieu of dance tracks, she sang with a talented live band comprised of many of her long-time friends. Until the end, most of the audience stayed seated, but Kimberley took it in stride. "I'm used to people standing up, dancing around, being silly. You guys are really good listeners, aren't you?" Having been part of the fun crowd she described, I had to laugh at her observation.Locke looked sexy in a long-sleeved black top and black hot shorts and sporting a sassy new short haircut. She pleased the crowd with her incredible voice and witty banter. She even dealt with an overzealous (or just drunk) fan, cleverly acknowledging him and putting him in his place at the same time. My only complaint was that she didn't sing "Band Of Gold," one of my favorite tunes.
After the show, she graciously signed autographs. She was very sweet and appreciative when I said I'd seen her at LA Pride. I wanted to try to meet her after that show, but I was stuck in audience gridlocke (sorry, I can't help myself!) waiting for Olivia Newton-John's performance. I told Kimberley last night, "We were hoping you'd have your dancers with you, but I don't think Tulare's ready for that!" She agreed. After all, you do have to know your audience.
